Our thoughts on potters equipment
Simple tool for slab builders
Lots of us do some slab building. To join two pieces at right angles, some prefer to lay flat slab to the edge of flat slab, and blend the two together. Others prefer to form a bevel on each piece and marry the bevels.
When I am building complex shapes I find it easiest to cut each piece to the finished visible size (without having to remember to subtract either one or two thicknesses) and join the slabs with a bevel.
Although they seem to fairly widely used, many people haven’t used bevellers or even seen them. The beveller illustrated here is one that I normally use. The dimensions aren’t that critical, but they are what I find comfortable to use. Little details to watch for are:
- Shallow groove in the bottom of the block, just the right size for the nylon/stainless line you are using.
- Screw eye on back of block.
- First end of nylon fastened round stem of screw eye.
- Take line round block, making sure it is in the groove underneath.
- Take two turns c/w round stem of screw eye, tie off line on ring of screw eye. This provides an easy method of tension adjustment on the line. If you are using nylon line, put a drop of nail varnish on the knot to stop it coming undone.
- I usually make the bodies from oak or similar hardwood.
In use I find that the small triangular offcut of clay forms a neat fillet to reinforce the inside of the joint.
Of course, if you build a lot of hexagons, just halve the length of the top overhang to produce a 60° edge.
A simple home made Batt system
Throwing batts are a great idea and are used by many potters.
The traditional method uses a round batt pegged to your wheel-head or just stuck down on a clay bed. However there are a couple of downsides to that option.
- Round batts are quite hard to make accurately, which tends to make them expensive.
- Round shapes don’t stack together well on your ware shelf.
Our preferred option for cup or small bowl throwing is to use a tile head on the wheel. This is a disc (again pegged or bedded on clay on the wheelhead) with an accurately cut square recess. This takes simple square batts, which are easy to produce, hence economical, and which pack well on your ware shelf.
Home made version
Take a square of birch ply slightly larger than your wheelhead. Draw lines across the diagonals to locate the centre. Use a pair of compasses or a trammel to draw a circle on the back of the tile head to match your wheel head. If you have a wheel with a centre peg drill a centre hole and a drive hole to suit. Cut a square batt of your chosen size. Mark the centre and drill to suit. Bolt the two together with a close-fitting bolt, with the batt on the non-marked (front) face.
Cut 4 rectangular pieces. Line up the end of one rectangle with the corner of the batt and glue and pin it the the main board. Fasten the other 3 rectangles to the board flush to the edges of the batt. Drill a SHALLOW hole in the middle of one edge of one of the rectangles.
When the glue is set remove the bolted batt, turn the assembly over and cut round the marked circle. It is a good idea to protect the finished job with 3 or 4 coats of varnish, rubbing down between coats.
Of course, if you build a lot of hexagons, just halve the length of the top overhang to produce a 60° edge.
